Fashion spectators were feverishly awaiting the arrival of the first collections from Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent Paris and Raf Simons for Dior during the Spring 2013 collections. Unsurprisingly, the two design wunderkinds did not disappoint – bringing vision and vitality to the fashion houses that were in need a breath of fresh air – a resuscitation to deliver the market the prestige of what these houses were in their prime.
It’s important to get the consumer buzzing about visionary design again. We’ve placed all our eggs in the basket case of the spectacle. The all encompassing spectacle of the first row go-ers, the incessant tweets, and street style paps that have skimmed away the attention from the true fashion celebrity: the designer. The man (or woman) with the vision that is unmatched but obsessively duplicated by those with that weren’t given the same gifts.
Since the passing of Alexander McQueen, there’s been a dark cloud hovering over the remaining fashion geniuses. In turn, things have most definitely been different – to say the least. This industry was starved of substantial creative energy. Yet, watching Slimane and Simons pirouette into their posts at Saint Laurent and Dior, respectively, gives hope and vision to a business that needs to shift the appreciation and attention to the true artistry of a fashion designer.
As there is much skepticism around the future of Nicolas Ghesquière and the recent leave of Christopher Kane at Versus and what that means for Balenciaga – maybe it’s time that we all take strides towards patience and allow the unknown to unfold.